If non-profits were able to analyze their financial data and predict future trends, would they know whether they are on the road to fiscal health or financial failure? Using historical accounting data on non-profit organizations from the Corelytics financial dashboard, we undertook an observational study that identifies key indicators of financial health in non-profits. A novel ranking system was created through appraising each non-profit on key metrics identified and weighted through qualitative research conducted using interviews with industry experts. We provide recommendations to Corelytics on how they can improve their services to non-profit clients, and to non-profits on how to better use Corelytics to track key financial health metrics. The services provided by these non-profits to the communities they reach out to can ultimately be improved through this informed and scientific approach to tracking their fiscal health.

MediSync: A Safer Way to Schedule Medicine Nina Dang (Informatics), David Gutierrez (Informatics), Troy Griffiths (Informatics), Brett Yamada (Informatics) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prescription drug overdose is the leading cause of injury death in the United States. Among them, about 80% are unintentional. When drug overdose occurs, it is typically contributed to a medication regimen with conflicting side effects, insufficient spacing of time in-between consumption, or the addition of over-the-counter drugs. MediSync, a mobile application, helps prevent these situations with careful scheduling and monitoring. With the touch of a button, users are reminded to take their medication at the proper times. Additionally, when adding a new drug to their regimen, the user will be alerted if a harmful interaction is detected against their existing schedule. MediSync’s provided awareness of prescription drug intake is the next step towards healthier habits and saving lives.

If you needed surgery today, do you know how much your insurance would cover and how much it would cost you? Chances are, it would take several phone calls, using a lot of confusing jargon, and up to three business days to get an answer. We want to change that. MedPath proposes to change that process by creating a mobile application that will allow for instant searching to verify insurance policy coverage. This project consists of two parts: a metadata framework, which is the foundation for designing a central database repository, and a wireframe design of the front end mobile application. It is a prototype of a fully functioning application that can change the way insurance coverage is currently understood and used in the US. It will allow consumers to verify their insurance policy coverage in real-time, therefore giving them the power to receive the quality care without paying unnecessary costs or wasting time.

The eSwing Golf Android Application aims to revolutionize the way golfers practice their game. For an organization that currently supports only laptops for displaying and analyzing swing data, a mobile application will boost the usability of the Swing Analyzer device. The proposed mobile Android application that will connect to the hardware, a device using the patented “Opto-acoustic” technology which precisely measures club head position and movement at impact, in real-time via Bluetooth will increase the worth of the hardware by manifold. The player will be able to create his profile and then evaluate his performance during his training session(s) using interesting visualizations. In today’s age where everything is going mobile, our app will increase the worth of the hardware, manifold. Its ease of use, portability and instant analysis results will surely add to the business of the company and significantly improve sales.

MuSee takes a unique approach to educational interactivity on mobile devices. MuSee uses augmented reality to create an immersive environment filled with multimedia content. This artifact scanner will connect users to new and interactive information about the artifacts at the museum. Augmented reality makes our product unique, easy to use, interactive and fun! MuSee also features custom content for the client museum including event information, exhibit details, accessibility information and a donation feature. MuSee is about telling a story, and the stories at museums are far too complex, colorful, and interesting to be confined solely to text. Most museums either lack mobile applications or have poor quality applications that fail to solve the issue of engaging visitors in an interactive manner. MuSee is revolutionizing the Burke Museum with an application that creates an augmented reality experience, allowing guests to engage and interact with history in ways they never believed were possible.

For-profit institutions have long tailored their space to best grab and retain people's attention. To address this need, some libraries hire firms to help them optimize their space based on unobtrusive observation. Our objective was to develop guidelines and protocols for libraries to conduct their own unobtrusive observational research in order to better understand patron behavior, and ultimately, to better serve their patrons. From these guidelines and protocols, we created a toolkit for community libraries. As an extension of a previous directed fieldwork at Sno-Isle Libraries, and in conjunction with Spokane County Library District, this toolkit includes video tutorials, observation instruments, and analysis tools. By putting these tools in the hands of librarians, any library will have the ability to collect and analyze more data at a lower cost, gaining valuable insight and feedback to help improve the patron experience.

The popularity of internet-based social networking services such as Facebook has surged over the previous decade, with more people than ever using these tools to connect with their friends and family. These services are lacking, however, when it comes to helping users engage with others based on mutual interests for daily, location-based activities such as going to the gym, sharing a meal, or studying for an exam. OnTheFly is a multi-platform mobile application which leverages the user's existing Facebook connections to help facilitate this process, providing users with an easy, intuitive method for creating short-term events they want to share with others. OnTheFly is designed to both support existing friendships as well as encourage new ones; users can invite their existing Facebook friends to events, and privacy settings allow users to choose whether they share their event with existing friends only, or open it up to the entire OnTheFly community.

Storytelling is an intrinsic part of human nature. It is how we communicate; pass down traditions, morals, history, our individual pasts, our present thoughts, and future hopes. Our project seeks to discover how much of the art of storytelling has been lost due to social media and how that can affect self-image in Internet users. Research has shown there are different types of user experiences based on the level of connectedness people feel with others online. Positive storytelling experiences can be found on websites that create support systems where users receive encouragement from others. Negative experiences generally center on social media sites that enable people to be self-centered, often causing other users to feel lonely, alienated, and envious. Our desire for this project is to help others understand we must make conscious efforts to create support systems for ourselves and others. Storytelling cannot exist in a vacuum.

Lawsuits are filed every day and can cost about $350,000 on average, per commercial tort lawsuit. Organizations are looking to reduce their exposure to such lawsuits as well as reduce the costs related to litigation. Having an indicator of possible inappropriate communications, allows an organization to be proactive in mitigating legal risk and better managing legal expenses. This project, “PACER Data Extraction and Manipulation,” represents a starting point towards an early warning of possible legal liability. The extracted relevant text from the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) will be used in a future project to create subject matter taxonomies. We are taking the first steps towards electronically managing, if not avoiding, potential legal liability for an organization.